Heart's Drum
by Usami
Summary: /Antauri POV, pending 'I, Chiro'/ Life once sang its song while pounding on the heart's drum…


I hearby pledge that I will never again call a show 'stupid'. I will continue to express my dislike for certain shows, but I must never call them stupid. Because if I call them stupid, there is a 60 percent chance that I will end up not only retracting the 'stupid' comment, but also watching the show and liking it.

Proof? You're looking it.

I'm not even sure how it happened, but it did. I had seen my brother watching it, but never really thought about it. Then, during this past weekend, I found myself watching it...a lot. I mean, I had always thought that Antauri was kind of cool, but it wasn't until this weekend that I really started liking SRMT. It really is kind of cute.

Anyway, this is my first SRMT story, and I really haven't seen that many episodes. But among the ones that I have seen is 'I, Chiro', and I absolutely loved it (in such a sad way). Then I read a few fanfics that took place after that, and I thought I'd try to write my own. This, though, is done in Antauri's POV, and while I'm very aware that Antauri does return in the end, I still had to write this out because I love Antauri so much, and the bond he and Chiro share is just so endearing.

A few notes that I might have to mention: The text in _italics_ are quotes that Antauri is remembering. The text in **bold** are just...different voices that he's hearing in his head. Text in **_italics and bold_** are just certain commentaries. The rest is just what he's thinking. It should make more sense when it's being read (or not).

So I'm done now. Enjoy!

**Heart's Drum**

_But I…_

_…I have found…_

_Your weakness…_

No…he could never be…a weakness…

**Do you…**

**Do you have what it takes…**

**To guide him?**

Do I?

**Can you help him?**

**Can you protect him?**

What if I…What if I cannot?

**Can you save him?**

**Could you…live with the consequences…or with yourself…if you fail?**

"Guys! Antauri's hurt! We've gotta help him!"

…Chiro…?

My eyes slowly opened as consciousness finally fully grasped my mind. I struggled to sit up, fighting the pain that still racked my body. This feeling…the crushing weight that burned through me, threatening to throw me back to the ground, was almost unbearable.

Almost.

I had sensed the others' arrival before hearing you call out to them. But now, as the ground trembled with the terrible force of the Dark One's awakening, my own heart pounded with the intense terror that I felt…from you.

As I stood behind you, I could see…Your body tensed tightly with that same awful fear that I sensed pouring from your core…that fear that left everything else in my mind completely forgotten for that one moment.

That fear…that finally made me realize the truth…

_Antauri_…_I failed you_…

No…you could never. If anything, it is _I _who has failed _you_, Chiro.

You were the Chosen One. The Power Primate courses through your body, giving you the strength you need to fulfill your destiny. From hundreds of thousands of people, you were the one selected to bear this fate. All this time…as I watched you and guided you through this path…as you fought so bravely alongside us…I had forgotten.

Forgotten…that you were still just a child.

Why hadn't I seen? How could I not understand? You were still so very young, and life still holds so many possibilities for you, inside your destiny and out. And I had forgotten how much there still was for you out there, away from us. Was it right for me to ask you to throw all of that away?

You told us that once, didn't you? That you didn't want the full responsibility of saving this city because you had no time for yourself. You tried to tell us, and I could not understand it then. But now…now I finally see.

What have we…What have I done through all this? Turned you into some hero? A fighter? Asked you to risk your life constantly in battle after battle? Exposing you to such trials and tribulations in order to fulfill a destiny that you had never asked for?

I was supposed to protect you. Can I say that I have done my task?

And yet even after everything I put you through, the innocent and kind light in your eyes has never faded. Somehow…you managed to rise above it all and continue to grow while holding that same heart that you've always had.

Because you were still just a child.

The ground still trembled. There was no time. Something had to be done lest the Dark One be released and the planet – the universe – was destroyed.

But as I looked at you, I knew…this was something I could never ask of you.

You were indeed the Chosen One. The power I feel from you is unlike any I have ever felt before. But that didn't give me the right to place this sort of task upon you, destiny or not. You have given up so much already. I could not allow you to give up your life as well. You were still young, and had so much to offer the world…and so much it had to offer to you. Was it fair…to demand all of this from you? Was it your destiny…for it all to end this way?

No…This was not your time. Not here, not now…

**Can you help him?**

**Can you protect him?**

**Can you save him?**

**…Will you…?**

If I can give you this chance to live…not just for us, not just for others, but a chance to live for yourself…to give you a life that you deserve to live…That alone is enough for me to do what must be done.

That alone…is reason enough for me to smile.

Because I have asked of you so much for our sake. I hope you can forgive me for all of that.

And for this…

**_Life once sang its song while pounding on the heart's drum…_**

"NO! Don't!"

I'm sorry, Chiro. But this is all I can do to protect you this time. My only concern…is how I might hurt you now.

Is that all I've ever done since we met?

Please forgive me…

…and farewell…

**_When suddenly_…_it stopped_…**

**The End**

So what did you think? I hope it's all right. Remember, this is my first SRMT story, and I've only seen less than 10 episodes up to this point. Plus, I have only seen 'I, Chiro' once so the exact details might not be the same as within the episode. But I hope that, despite these minor problems, you enjoyed the story anyway.

I'm not sure if I'll be doing any more SRMT fics. I'll consider it, and I really might write more after watching more episodes. And it also depends on what you people thought of this story. So please review (no flames if you can help it), and thanks for reading!


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